Whew, this one was quite a ride! I love a good unreliable narrator, and this book had plenty of those. If I was ever worried that a courtroom drama wouldn't have enough action in it, that fear was quashed in the very first chapter.

The Incident, as it's called, is a truly brutal event. It's painstakingly told from numerous points of view and may cause the reader to physically cringe, but it's the center of a complicated blame-game where almost everyone is either holding back or outright lying. These exclusions lead to even more tragedy and conflict, where by the end multiple parties share varying amounts of culpability.

We also get a raw and vulnerable look at what it's like to care for a special needs child day-to-day. Even as the characters make mistakes in their parenting, you can't help but feel a great amount of empathy for them. And as much as anything else, this is a story about one family's immigration. Their complicated dynamic after uprooting themselves and having to readjust to a completely new set of social and cultural rules...I can hardly fathom going through something so difficult.

Angie Kim really did an exceptional job covering so many distinct perspectives and story lines at once. And near the end, the book really had me exactly where it wanted me!

Miracle Creek, by Angie Kim - what a fabulous debut novel!

I can’t think of another book which had me guessing the outcome so much and in such a believable way. The first few pages confused me a little as I was unfamiliar with the subject matter and thought it may be a distopian story. But no, it was about a ‘medical’ treatment I was unfamiliar with and which challenges conventional thinking.

There is a very rich cast of characters who you sometimes love and sometimes hate, sometimes understand and sometimes wonder what they are thinking! Some are truthful always and some occasionally.

This story left me guessing and puzzling right the way through and had me up late into the night to find the answers. And the moral issues it posed certainly made me wonder what I would do if I found myself in this situation.

What a ride!! Miracle Creek by Angie Kim is a story about the Yoos, Pak, Young, and their daughter Mary an immigrant family from Korea relocating to Miracle Creek, Virginia to provide a better life for their daughter.

The Yoos own and operator a hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). HBOT treatments are believed to be effective in re-mediating autism and male infertility, by sitting a chamber (tank) and breathing pure, pressurized oxygen.
During a treatment session a fire breaks out and kills three people inside the chamber, among those that passed is an autistic boy name Henry and his mother Elizabeth is put on trial for his death and the other two victims.

This novel is filled with dark secrets, twist, turns and confusion (confusion in a good way). This book will have you hooked from the start and have you guessing to the end. What a thriller! Kim touch base on so much; family relationships, the struggles on immigrants and much more. Loved this book I highly recommend.

Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Sarah Chrichton books for the advanced copy of Miracle Creek. I absolutely loved this book. It is one of my new favorites of all time! Angie Kim's writing is so stunning and compelling that I felt I could relate to every character. I really enjoyed that each chapter was from a different character's perspective which greatly enhanced my understanding of them. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone and be purchasing a physical copy when it releases.

Wow, what an engrossing and extremely ambitious novel. I devoured this in under two days, something that very rarely happens for me.

On the surface, this is a courtroom drama about what happened one August night in Miracle Creek, Virginia when a Korean immigrant family's hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) chamber catches fire and, subsequently, explodes, killing two patients and injuring others, including the operator, Pak, and his 17-year-old daughter. In a surprising turn of events, it's not Pak who is put on trial, but Elizabeth, the mother of the 8-year-old autistic boy who died alongside her friend Kitt, the mother of another autistic child who was also undergoing HBOT. Was it murder? Did she want her son, around whom her entire life was structured, to die?

The events that happened that night are uncovered over the course of the trial and come from the perspective of several people who connected to the tragedy: Pak; his wife Young; their daughter Mary; Elizabeth; Matt, a patient who was inside the chamber during the fire; Janine, Matt's wife; and Teresa, the mother of a teenaged patient. With each, we get deep into their involvement and theories about that night, as well as the individual struggles each are dealing with, often privately: immigration and assimilation; grief and loss; parenting children with disabilities; guilt; infertility; and more I won't mention, due to spoilers.

For me, it was a little hard to keep up with the volume of these alternating perspectives, and I might have removed at least one. Because there are so many different themes in this book (that's largely what I meant by it being so ambitious), it was a little overwhelming to have them pile on top of each other. That said, they're all written very well with a lot of care and reverence.

Overall, I loved this book. It kept me incredibly engaged, continually trying to understand what happened on that fateful day. Like any mystery, there are breadcrumbs and red herrings, but what sets this book apart is the additional layer of emotional weight on the top of the plot. A really fantastic debut novel!

After a fatal explosion during a therapy session, the perpetrator and motive seem clear-cut (though horrific). That is, until we realize everyone involved has secrets of their own. Told through multiple perspectives, this debut weds Celeste Ng’s nuanced treatment of family dynamics with Jodi Picoult’s mastery of courtroom drama.

I would highly recommend this novel. It’s fast-paced and definitely reels you in emotionally. Lots of point of views, so many aspects to think about.

“But that was the way life worked. Every human being was the result of a million different factors mixing together—one of a million sperm arriving at the egg at exactly a certain time; even a millisecond off, and another entirely different person would result. Good things and bad—every friendship and romance formed, every accident, every illness—resulted from the conspiracy of hundreds of little things, in and of themselves inconsequential.”

I can’t believe this is a debut novel. It has all the complexity, tension, nuance and pacing that you would expect from a much more seasoned novelist.

I’ll admit that I was ambivalent about reading a “courtroom drama,” but it’s so much more than that.

Pak, a Korean immigrant, moves his family to America to start an experimental treatment center that claims to cure children of autism by placing them in a pressurized oxygen chamber. Soon, he has a dedicated group of patients: kids whose mothers are into controversial, pseudo-scientific autism “treatments” like IV chelation and ingesting bleach.

When a fire breaks out during a session, killing three people inside the chamber, one of the kids’ mothers is put on trial for murder of her own son and the other two victims.

As the trial progresses, it becomes clear that the events leading to the tragedy are much more complicated than anyone ever could have imagined. Seemingly everyone is keeping secrets from each other in an effort to protect themselves and each other.

The narrative delves deep into a number of characters—from Pak and his family to the mother on trial to the other parents whose kids partook in the oxygen treatments. There are extremely complex dynamics at play here, and Kim explores these dynamics boldly, with tons of nuance.

There’s the family dynamics between Pak and his wife and daughter: his wife’s customary submissiveness and the intense pressure on Korean men to provide for their families. And there’s also a frank and sympathetic exploration of what it’s like to have a special needs child. Kim is unafraid to wade through murky gray areas, no matter how uncomfortable. Her characters are real people trying to do their best in difficult situations, and that means they’re not always entirely likable. They harbor dark and shameful thoughts...but really, don’t we all at certain points?

There is a part of me that wonders if it’s almost irresponsible to turn anti-vaccer types into sympathetic characters. I’m genuinely curious how parents of autistic children will feel about this book. But Kim, to her credit, reserves judgment and avoids moralizing to readers about what’s “right” or “wrong,” instead allowing us to come to our own conclusions about the characters and their choices.

On top of all the nuanced relationship dynamics, this is just a really engaging novel that will especially appeal to readers who enjoy literary mysteries. Kim is a lawyer, and it shows, as she has clearly thought out every piece of the puzzle.

I’ll be surprised if this isn’t a huge hit when it comes out.

Angie Kim knocks it out of the park with her debut novel, “Miracle Creek.” This riveting courtroom drama deftly navigates multiple narrative perspectives, as well as diving into meaningful contemporary topics, like the immigrant experience. This book is sure to be a smashing success.

A captivating, tightly-woven courtroom drama with a crime at its heart and characters I loved to follow! This is a fantastic debut from Kim, who uses a courtroom as the launching pad to tell the story of a devastating crime that left two people dead. The trial reveals deep secrets that suggest that wasn't just an accident.

I found the story detailed and the plot intricately woven, the characters sympathetically created. I don't often read courtroom stories because they can be a little tedious, but Miracle Creek was more focused on the crime at the heart, making it suspenseful and beautiful.

With wonderful themes of parenting, inter-racial marriage, special needs parenting and fertility challenges, book clubs will have a lot to talk about here. Miracle Creek is definitely one to add to your 2019 TBR list.

Miracle Creek is a unique take on a courtroom drama, that leans more towards literary fiction than crime procedural. A year after a fire leaves two people dead at an experimental medical facility, secrets begin to unravel during the trial. Kim weaves the recollections of multiple characters involved in the event with courtroom drama, creating a gripping novel that becomes quite a page turner towards the second half. It can be hard to balance many different characters while also giving each their due, but Kim does a superb job. I never felt that I wanted more or less of a character, and Kim balances plot, personal history and thoughts in each section. Every character is unique and realistic, completely their own person. As the novel goes on, we slowly begin to see how each 'white lie' builds up to create a complicated web that eventually unravels and complicates the lives of all the characters involved. I'm very excited for this book to come out, and more people to discover Kim's amazing storytelling!

All the feels. All the twists and turns. There were so many notable qualities about this book! For one, the author did a great job with character development - she made them very relatable and real by exploring their thoughts and personal struggles. During each chapter, there was some new revelation or twist that kept me captivated and invested in the unique plot. On top of the courtroom drama, the novel touched on deep issues...cultural assimilation, stereotypes, parenting, "normalcy". Loved the writing and thought this debut novel was excellent!

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

MIRACLE CREEK is author Angie Kim's debut novel.

Let me say that again, MIRACLE CREEK is author Angie Kim's debut novel.

Why am I repeating myself? Well, once you read this book, you will understand. The deft way Angie Kim steers the reader and fleshes out each character all while also creating an emotionally fraught courtroom drama and detailing equally emotional backstories for each of a wide range of characters is so skillfully achieved that it is difficult to believe this is her debut novel.

The topic of children on the autism spectrum is always an emotional one. Such deep feelings can bring out either the best in someone, or the very worst. Teachers, doctors, therapists and especially parents can often feel that they know best, and that other people are irrational if they do not follow their advice.

Imagine being the mother of a child who is unable to effectively communicate with you. Imagine that you discover a new form of therapy that has shown positive results, would you not do everything you could to get that therapy for your child? As a parent, I know that I would.

In this book, readers are exposed to the people who run an HBOT facility. They are the Yoos', a couple from Korea with a teenage daughter.

The treatment center the Yoos have set up involves putting a patient or group of patients inside "—a pressurized oxygen chamber that patients enter for therapeutic “dives” with the hopes of curing issues like autism or infertility."

Everything seems to be going fairly well until tragedy strikes and two of the patients die in a horrific explosion.

That single event causes ripples among the community, the patients and their families, as well as the Yoos'  who own "Miracle Submarine." These ripples will sweep readers along,  immersing them into one of the best and most dramatic books of 2019.

I have "favorited" this book and I fully intend to read it again and again. I am also recommending this book to my local library and to any and all local book clubs.

There are many themes happening in this story that are relevant to things happening in today's America. The Yoo family are immigrants and they need to adjust to American living. Also, issues such as autism, infertility and discrimination are wound in and around every chapter.

Angie Kim has crafted a tale so compelling and so believable that readers will be left wondering if this is really fictitious, or if it is based on a true story. I am excited to share this book with everyone who reads my reviews. I firmly believe that if you are only going to read a few books in 2019, MIRACLE CREEK needs to be one of them.

I rate this book as 5+ Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ which is the highest rating I can bestow. Angie Kim is incredibly talented and I am now a fan.

*** Thank you very much to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this wonderful book.***

Ingenious, well-crafted pageturner with a very original premise: an exploding oxygen tank in an oxygen-therapy facility. (Not somehing you encounter every day). And the multiple pov's keep you guessing about what really happened until the very end.

I really tried to like this book. Unfortunately i just couldn't get into the story. It seems like a great story but wasn't good at keeping me interested.

First book I read this year. A good book. This is a story, and a court room drama that takes place in a rural area outside of Washington, D.C. IT is about many things, a Korean Family, the length people will go to to help their children when conventional medicine has nothing much to offer them, friendship and jealousy. I enjoyed this book very much, but did feel towards the end it started to drag on. I would still recommend it to friends and family. Thanks for advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this debut novel by Angie Kim. Miracle Creek is a small town in rural Virginia where Young and Pak Yoo run a hyperbaric oxygen therapy business, or HBOT as it is referred to throughout the story, called Miracle Submarine. They treat patients with conditions which HBOT is not traditionally used for - such as autism, cerebral palsy and infertility. A domino effect of events lead to an explosion at Miracle Submarine which causes two deaths.

This novel starts out very intense with a prologue that gives us a glimpse of the day of the explosion. The rest of the story is told from several different perspectives and is perfectly paced such that it takes the entire book to hear everyone’s version of the day of the HBOT explosion. Suspicion is cast over many characters throughout the story and when the details of that day are finally complete and the reader finds out exactly how the fire was started, it is a very satisfying reveal though not entirely surprising. Much of the story is in the form of a trial which is very well done - very intense and detailed without getting tedious.

This novel touches on the very emotional subject of the challenges and emotional toll of parenting a child with special needs, as well as typical children. It discusses many controversial treatments for autism. The dynamics within the Yoo family are also the focus of much of the story and the author offers keen insight into the experience of immigrants in this country.

I would highly recommend this novel. It’s fast-paced and definitely packs an emotional punch. This ARC was provided to me by NetGalley – thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

Kim's debut novel is an engrossing and heart-wrenching mystery. As a lawyer, I may be biased, but the trial format worked extremely well for this novel -- the slowly unfolding narrative, layered with questions and doubts. The methodical way that the plot unwound itself was very appealing to me, and it's clear that Kim is effective at crafting these kinds of stories (I assume in large part because of her history as a trial lawyer).

Kim also manages to develop well-rounded characters even while switching between points-of-view every chapter or so. The Yoo family and Elizabeth are particularly powerful portrayals. The descriptions of an immigrant family adjusting to life in the United States, or the ways they must compromise in their adjustment, were particularly cogent in her Young and Mary chapters. I also have little experience with autism, and I thought Kim's chapters from Theresa and Elizabeth's point of view were thought-provoking and emotional.

I only wish the ending was a bit more fleshed out -- the jump between the penultimate and last chapter was a big one, and though I thought the path to showing us the culprit behind the fire was well-done, I wished we'd seen more of what happened after everyone found out who it really was. But perhaps it's because the end itself doesn't exactly leave one with any sense of justice -- the perpetrator didn't feel culpable in a lot of ways to me, and it seemed like someone got away with something that felt pretty hideous. But ultimately, the message of questionable justice was another highlight of Kim's book. It really doesn't always work the way we want it to. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book.

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review, so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book.
This book is a courtroom drama. Some books use language that loses me but this one made complete sense. I loved the characters and I was able to connect with them which for me is SO important! This is my first book by Angie Kim but it will not be my last.
This was my first book by this author. It was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
3.5 star rating!

Excellent story with a gripping plot centered around a Korean family who live in a small community called Miracle Creek. The family uses use what they call the “miracle submarine”, an experimental pressurized oxygen chamber meant to heal all sorts of health/medical issues from infertility and cancer to even autism. The beginning describes the moments leading up to and after a deadly fire that kills several people inside the chamber including the young child with autism. Most of the book is centralled around the courtroom as each chapter describes details of the trial which keeps you guessing at every turn... what REALLY happened that tragic day?

The writing is wonderful, I really enjoyed every characters story and their perspective. I love courtroom dramas and the author did a great job of keeping the reader guessing every chapter. So many times I thought I knew for sure, but the next chapter changes my mind again and again. This book was an all around emotional journey and quite the page turner. I also thought the story was unique and the pace was perfect, never rushed but still exciting. However, the story was also very sad at times. I highly recommend this book to others, but be prepared for all the emotion ahead!

Thank you to #netgalley and FSG for my advanced e-book version of Miracle Creek.